Hello from Garland Greens!
I moved to Amherst, Va. in 2019 from the Florida Gulf Coast and immediately started gardening. Florida is no place to have a vegetable garden, the heat makes the season very short, and unless you have an irrigation system and bring in fertile soil you are doomed from the start. Bananas, Avocados, and Mangos become your best crops:)
Having vegetables grown in composted organic soil, watered by rainwater, and kissed by the Sun, means an eating experience without the scare of chemical fertilizers and food preservatives. Not every tomato or pepper is going to look like it belongs on a magazine cover, but it will taste fantastic!
In the spring I grow salad greens. Summer brings garlic, tomatoes, peppers, onions, scallions, cucumbers, squash, blackberries, and raspberries. Fall brings jams and canned sauces. The beginning of the late season I will have mustard greens, spinach, and kale that will last into winter.
I offer an ever changing menu of Scandinavian, British, and Irish baked goods, attempting to keep the sugar content low, often baking with the newer sugar alternatives as the research has shown them to be safe for Diabetic, Keto, and low carbohydrate diets. I am willing to bake with a butter alternative( providing the recipe can be modified) when requested.
The rise in cases of Alpha-gal is affecting the diets of many of us, including myself. Though I, personally, am not offering items made with red meat, there are many baked goods that require dairy products and I am careful to use a non-dairy alternative.
The Vegan community has spoken and I make traditional Hummus and a Black Bean Hummus. I will add more items as demanded. I will have Basil Pesto made with homegrown Sweet and Thai Basil, garlic, and quality Olive oil, and side items such as Tabouli, Tomato Cucumber Salad, and Olive Tapenade (with or withiout the anchovy paste).
My daughter, Sarah, got me started on making Granola over 12 years ago and it has become one of my best sellers. I only use the best ingredients, and it is as Gluten Free as I can get it.
As for gluten free, I have found a few great muffin, cake, and cookie recipes that I will be springing on you during the summer months.
I have my favorites when it comes to Jams and Preserves, like Blackberry ( regular and seedless), Damson Plum and Gin, Balsamic Fig, and Strawberry and Jalapeno. Most of the fruit is sourced locally ( me, a ladder, and a basket) and made using lemon juice as a pectin source, cane sugar, and fresh spices. This year I will be making some of the jams with sugar alternatives like Monkfruit and Erythritol.
Hope to see you this spring at the Amherst Farmer's Market on Main St across from Hill Hardware!
Paula Strombeck-Ives